Word Count: 856Parents have the most Influence, not McDonald's and Little Debbie. There may be a reason teenagers eat more burgers and fries than fruits and vegetables: their parents. Researchers have found that adolescents are more likely to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day if their parents do. Contrarily, teens whose parents eat fast food and drink soda are more likely to do the same. Today families are eating less healthy food, eating out more, and fast food is very available. Obese teens barely escape the world of yummy junk food; they are surrounded by it. It’s like being addicted to drugs, but sugar and fat are the killers. Or are Manufactures and the parents the true killers? Should junk food manufactures have the finger pointed at them? Or should the parents get the blame finger? In my opinion, both are guilty as charged if they are not providing healthy food choices, fitness, and nutrition education to the teens of America. After all, the teens are our future, the ones who will take care of the older generation. Let’s connect with our teens, so they will live healthy and happy with little disease to pass on to their offspring. Today families also exercise less, are watching more TV, gaming, and surfing the internet. According to the U.S. surgeon general, only about one-half of U.S. children get regular exercise, and one-fourth don’t take part in physical activity at all. As a result, obesity among children and adolescents has increased substantially since the 1960s. The convenience of modern life has created a nation of youthful couch potatoes. More junk food, less healthy food and less exercise causes obesity. The health risks of being obese are well-known and include diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and joint pain. In addition to serious medical problems, overweight teens struggle with social and psychological problems such as disordered eating patterns, food/alcohol/drug...

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...even modest gains in weight from age 18 to midlife are associatedwith an increase in risk several times greater than that of a person who maintained a stableweight” (Eating Disorders and Obesity). Increased BMI (body mass index) of 23 to 25 hadincreased abnormalities in blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipids. People who areoverweight may try to present the benefit of less hip fractures and broken bones than people whoare lean (because of more padding), but heart disease and diabetes are far more important anddangerous health risks. There are no benefits to being overweight (Eating Disorders andObesity).Preventing obesity at an early age is very beneficial to people’s health and self-esteem.Parents can prevent their children from becoming obese later in life more than they know. Theyneed to be role models for their children, and set examples of a good lifestyle. Regulating howmuch the child eats is important, especially what they’re eating. Sugar should be cut down, aswell as high-calorie snacks. Limiting time in front of the TV and computer could increase physical activity as well (Weight Management). The article “Obesity” explains that obese adultswhose parents never taught them good eating and health habits have to take care of themselvesand change their lifestyles. Treating obesity is not just about quick weight loss, it is about settingup a lifelong pattern of good choices. “Yo-Yo” dieting is very...

...﻿Obesity at a Glance in America
Rikki Higgs
Mrs. Abernathy
English IIV
10 December 2013
Rikki Higgs
Mrs. Abernathy
English IV
10 December 2013
Obesity at a Glance in America
In America, obesity rates have shot up exorbitantly high in the latest year. Obesity, which is a form of overweight, has become a common problem throughout America (Macnair, Trisha). Even thoughobesity is excess proportion of total body fat, it can cause major damage. Obesity is a health condition where a person body weight is abnormal to their height. When being describe as obese, that means the weight is 30 and more percent of fat over the ideal weight. It has become an escalating epidemic that is very outrageous in the America. Not to mention, obesity is a disorder that have affected millions of people including children and teens. Obesity has reached an epidemic problem, creating a huge generation of people to have a shorter lifespan due to many diseases and health problems.
Throughout America, obesity have affected over a quarter of adults (Allen, Terry14). American is the richest but yet the fattest nation in the world. However, obese comes from Latin which means to “eat”. Nonetheless it was only in the nineteenth century that most people in the western world who began to have slacking of the food....

...In today’s society obesity is a relevant and very serious topic. The term obese is used to characterize the overall level of body fat. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey more than one-third of adults and almost 17% of youth are obese (Ogden, 2012, para 1). The prevalence of obesity does not differ between men and women, however obesity is more prominent in adults ages 60 (Oden, 2012, para 1). Fast food has become more popular these days with idea of having a meal prepared in 5 minutes rather than a half hour. Time is everything with two working adults and children involved in after school activities. Even though not the right decision it is what is convenient at the time. Obesity is a global pandemic as a result of a poor diet choices and lack of physical activity, however with promoting healthy food choices and encouragement with physical activity, a change may come.
Problem 1
Pollan (2006) makes it very clear that we are part of national eating disorder. Many make the decision to be unhealthy on a daily basis. Maybe because they are in a hurry or just got home late from work so they choose drive to the local drive-thru to order dinner. Nothing is wrong with that except what you are ordering, the 550 calorie packed burger or the 250 calorie salad. A side of spaghetti may be ordered in a restaurant but the amount you get is enough to feed a table of three. It is no...

...Nutrition Examination Survey, one-third of the United States diet consists of junk or fast food (Allison). Obesity is the “abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually twenty percent or more over an individual's ideal body weight” (Greenblatt). Obesity is becoming an overwhelming epidemic in America. It is more prevalent in African Americans, American-Indians, and children (Richards). In fact, nearly two out of three Americans are overweight or obese and the number of overweight children has tripled over the last twenty years (Greenblatt). Due to obesity, there are many deaths or life threatening effects in America. According to Greenblatt, individuals who are obese have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to those with a healthy weight. Moreover, they discovered that about one of every eight deaths in America is caused by an illness started by obesity (Allison). A stronger focus on solutions is vital in controlling the obesity epidemic. Rather than taking the easy way out by buying cheap fast food, people need to be taught how to save their money and recognize the negative effects of vast fast food intake.
Allison, Fontaine, and Manson used data from numerous studies to estimate the number of deaths attributable to obesity in the United States on an annual basis. Their studies reveal that in 1991, the “average deaths due to...

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Is Obesity Really a Disease?
The controversial debate on whether obesity should be classified as a disease has been around for some time. Recently, the American Medical Association officially classified obesity as a disease. Disease is generally defined as an abnormal condition that results from developmental errors and/or unfavorable environmental factors that cannot be controlled. It can be caused by an external source, such as some sort of pathogen or an internal dysfunction of cells. Obesity is defined as a label for a range of body weight that is considered unhealthy for a given height. It can be caused by an inactive lifestyle, the intake of more calories than needed and consumption of unhealthy foods. There are also other factors that can contribute to obesity such as metabolic conditions, certain medications, lack of access to healthy food options and environmental factors. These factors can make weight-loss (or maintenance of a healthy weight) more difficult but not impossible. I contend that obesity is not a disease because it is the result of a chosen lifestyle, it is completely preventable and avoidable, and can be controlled without medication.
Classifying obesity as a disease could be sending a bad message. In the article “Labeling Obesity as a Disease May Have Psychological Costs” by Crystal L. Hoyt,
Hoyt presents a recent study that...

...﻿Vanessa Busse
English Composition 101
Instructor Delano
November 16, 2014
The Obesity Epidemic
Two-thirds of people in the United States are overweight or obese; about a third of adults – more than 72 million – are obese, which is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight (Hellmich 60). Obesity can be defined as, “A condition in which an individual has a high percentage of body fat. A person is considered obese if he or she has a BMI [body mass index] of 30 or higher. A BMI of 40 or more, or 100 pounds (45 kg) over average weight, is termed morbid obesity. This condition is considered medically disabling and likely to shorten life expectancy” (Murphy 104). According to the CDC website, “Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as ‘overweight’ and ‘obesity’, the risks for the following also increase: Coronary heart disease, type two diabetes, cancers, hypertension, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and many other health problems” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). From fast food sales increasing tremendously, families being overweight, and portion sizes exceeding serving sizes, we can see why obesity is such a huge problem for Americans.
The need for fast, reliable, affordable, and convenient food, along with an increasing acceptance among Americans of a more homogenous culture, led to the rise of the fast food industry (Woloson 71)....

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Solving the obesity problems that many Americans face
COM/156
Tuesday,
Instructor: David Bliss
Have you ever stood in front of a refrigerator that holds a slice of cake or a tub of ice-cream and your hand reaches out to get it even as your mind is screaming, "Don’t do this"! Although millions of Americans are overweight, eating a healthy diet will eliminate the obesity problem in America. Eating poorly or well can make a big difference on both the physical and mental aspects of your body. All in all, understanding what causes food cravings and learning to control them, as well as learning how to lose weight by means of a healthy diet can help anyone avoid becoming obese. Therefore, the result of choosing healthier foods will decrease the obesity rate and ultimately increase the rate of people who will have less medical expenses and be able to maintain a more active lifestyle.
Obesity in the United States costs the healthcare industry, insurance companies and individuals billions of dollars per year in preventable related ailments and illnesses, according to Investigating Hypnosis: Increasing Health Behaviors in Very Overweight African American Adults; August 1, 2012. There are many reasons that contribute to Americans being overweight. The first reason is that Americans do not live a very, healthy lifestyle. Many eat and drink in excess, as well as eating meals late at night or right before bed...

...Wake Up America
Obesity among children and adolescents has been an increasing problem in the United States. Over the past 30 years, the percentage of obese people has more than doubled in children ages 6-11 and has quadrupled in adolescents ages 12-19. Consequently, obesity among children and adolescents has been a hot topic in the United States, especially in homes, in the school lunchrooms, on the news, and in government debates. People have been asking questions like “Who is to blame for the overweight children?”, “How can obesity be prevented?”, and “How harmful is it for the children to be obese?” for many years now. As a result of these questions, fingers have been pointed at fast food corporations, parents of the obese and school systems blaming them for the increase of obesity amongst children and adolescents. Though each of the accused can argue how it is not their fault for this overweight epidemic, all of these groups play a vital role in whether or not children and adolescents are obese. Being overweight is not only something that is very unappealing to most people; it also comes with the risk of developing numerous amounts of cancers and other ailments that can eventually lead to death. If we, the people of the United States do not put an end to obesity or at least do a better job at teaching the nation’s youth on the negative effects that come with that one dollar cheeseburger, the...